ASH Parish Council will dedicate a planning meeting to discuss plans to build 400 homes between Ash and Tongham.

ASH Parish Council will dedicate a planning meeting to discuss plans to build 400 homes between Ash and Tongham.

The council has reacted to residents’ interest in the application for outline planning permission submitted in November by Bewley Homes and A2Dominion.

Parish council leader, and Guildford Borough councillor, Nigel Manning, said they hoped to give residents a forum to discuss their concerns, which would be passed on to planning officers.

He said: “Because of the impact this application could have on the community and the strong interest in it, we’re going to hold a special meeting dedicated to it.

“This is obviously quite a big planning application for Ash Vale and an extra 400 homes will have a real effect on infrastructure in the area. We felt it would be appropriate to give residents a forum to discuss the plans.”

The gathering will be held in the Ash Centre’s hall rather than one of its meeting rooms, where council meetings are usually held. Cllr Manning said this was in order to cater for as many people as possible.

He added: “We’re not sure how many to expect, but there should be plenty of room.”

The parish council plans to inform residents and interest groups of the meeting.

So far, the application has received 111 letters of objection and six in support.

Ash Residents’ Association has continued its campaign against the homes and has issued guidelines on how to write objection letters for concerned residents to send to the planning officer.

The Chairman of the association, Graham Eyre, is also due to hear back from Surrey County Council about the outcome of his application for part of the land at the rear of Ash Lodge Drive to be granted village green status. A spokesman for the county council said the responses to the application are currently being considered.

It is likely the village green application will result in a public inquiry, which could affect any proposed plans for developing the site into homes.

Mr Eyre said he had been told by officials that an inquiry could take place any time in the six months from the date his application was submitted.

While Mr Eyre submitted the application as an individual, he is supported by the association and Ash Parish Council. Cllr Manning added he thought the application had merit.

He said: “I think it’s got legs because there’s been free access to that land for years now, so I think there’s a real possibility for it to succeed.”

If the land is granted village green status, it will be a criminal offence to make any changes to it unless it is done to improve people’s enjoyment of the green.

The meeting will be held on January 10 in the Ash Centre on Ash Hill Road at 7pm. The plans can be viewed from 6pm.